CurriConnects Book List - Math in Use

Math in UseThis extensive list includes books about mathematicians, architects, and engineers. These are the people who apply numbers to accomplish great things.Some accomplishemtns Include historic feats.

The Josefina Story Quilt - Eleanor Coerr, (978-0060213497) , FictionInterest level: 1-3, Lexile: 420, ESL level: 1 - 2Josefina learns to cut and sew quilts to save the memories of her family's travel across the U.S. in a covered wagon.

Oma's Quilt - Paulette Bourgeois, (978-1550747775) , FictionInterest level: 0-2, Lexile: 450, ESL level: 1 - 2Emily decides to help her grandmother adjust to a nursing home by cutting quilt pieces from her grandmother's old belongings that she could not bring with her; when her grandmother has the finished quilt, she'll be seeing her entire life before her.

Babu's Song - Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, (978-1600602757) , FictionInterest level: 0-3, Lexile: 600, ESL level: 1 - 2Bernardi loves the music box his toymaker grandfather gives him, but he is torn about selling it when he wants a real soccer ball and also needs money for school fees.

Beatrice's Goat - Page McBrier, (978-0689824609) , FictionInterest level: 2-5, Lexile: 640, ESL level: 2A young girl takes advantage of the gift of a goat her family receives in order to obtain the funds for her school fees and uniforms (this book is a fictionalized account of the Heifer Project International).

Eight Hands Round: A Patchwork Alphabet - Ann Whitford Paul, (978-0064434645) , FictionInterest level: 3-6, Lexile: 980, ESL level: 3 - 4Twenty-six quilt patterns, each based on a letter and also an early American object, form the basis of a boy's exploration throughout this book.

Making a Model with Solid Figures - Jennifer Marrewa, (978-0836890051) , Non-fictionInterest level: 1-3, Lexile: 400, ESL level: 1 - 2Children come home from a park they want to build a model of; they find similar shapes in common objects around the house.

Martin and the Tooth Fairy - Bernice Chardiet, (978-0590433051) , FictionInterest level: 2-4, Lexile: 370, ESL level: 2When Martin's friends find out he gets more from the tooth fairy than they do, he offers to put their teeth under his pillow, for a price.

Max Malone Makes a Million - Charlotte Herman, (978-0805023282) , FictionInterest level: 1-4, Lexile: 500, ESL level: 2 - 3Max never gives up trying to make a quick buck with his friend, but they envy another acquaintance who seems more successful.

The Patchwork Quilt - Valerie Flournoy, (?978-0803700970) , FictionInterest level: 3-6, Lexile: 520, ESL level: 2Tanya learns to cut and sew material scraps into beautiful quilts with the help of her grandmother; Tanya learns to appreciate the important role her grandmother has in their family life.

Pigs on the Ball: Fun with Math and Sports - Amy Axelrod, (978-0689815652) , FictionInterest level: 1-3, Lexile: 380, ESL level: 2A group of pigs learns about aspects of geometry while they are enjoying a game of miniature golf as a family.

Pippo the Fool - Tracey E. Fern, (978-1570916557) , FictionInterest level: 2-4, Lexile: 770, ESL level: 3When the town fool enters the contest to design a dome for the local cathedral, city people are skeptical and amused.

The Three Little Pigs - Steven Kellog, (978-0064437790) , FictionInterest level: 0-3, Lexile: 640, ESL level: 1 - 2In this new version of the classic three little pigs story, the little pigs are trying to run a business set up for them by an aunt when they encounter the big bad wolf.

Tommy Trouble and the Magic Marble - Ralph Fletcher, (978-0805063875) , FictionInterest level: 1-5, Lexile: 310, ESL level: 2Young Tommy is tempted to buy a "magic" marble for $10 when the seller tries to convince him that it will protect him from bad dreams.

Tricking the Tallyman: The Great Census Shenanigans of 1790 - Jacqueline Davies, (978-0375839092) , FictionInterest level: 3-5, Lexile: 660, ESL level: 2 - 3With an anecdotal approach to the first U.S. census, readers learn about the problems people had taking it and what sort of information they were collecting.

Upper Elementary to Middle School Books

All-In - Pete Hautman, (978-1416913252) , FictionInterest level: 7-12, Lexile: 760, ESL level: 4Denn Doyle is only 17, but he has a history of winning and winning at poker until he gets involved in a romance with a young Las Vegas dealer.

The Amazing Thinking Machine - Dennis Haseley, (978-0803726093) , FictionInterest level: 3-7, Lexile: 810, ESL level: 3Two brothers, living during the Depression, invent a machine that helps make money for their family while their father is out of work.

Amelia Works It Out - Marissa Moss, (978-1584850816) , FictionInterest level: 3-5, Lexile: 610, ESL level: 2 - 3When Amelia wants to buy something, she tries to use her talents at drawing to make a profit.

Architect - Jessica Cohn, (978-1433921537) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-6, Lexile: 720, ESL level: 2 - 3This book is part of a series which describes requirements and duties of various jobs; this one focuses on becoming an architect.

Business as Usual - David Haynes, (978-0789154132) , FictionInterest level: 2-8, Lexile: 770, ESL level: 3 - 4A group of friends applies their new-found knowledge about economics and money-making to try and start a new business.

Do You Wanna Bet?: Your Chance to Find out about Probability - Jean Cushman, (978-0618829996) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-6, Lexile: 660, ESL level: 3 - 4Readers learn, through the eyes of two young boys, that many common every day things happen because of mathematical odds and probability.

Flush - Carl Hiaasen, (978-0375821820) , FictionInterest level: 5-8, Lexile: 830, ESL level: 3 - 4Brother and sister Noah and Abbey try to help their jailed father by exposing the illegal practices of the owner of a floating casino the father sank.

Freaky Friday - Mary Rodgers, (978-0060250485) , FictionInterest level: 5-8, Lexile: 730, ESL level: 2 - 3Mother and daughter learn about each other's roles as they change places for one day. They each actually totally change into the other person!

Gold Rush Fever: A Story of the Klondike, 1898 - Barbara Greenwood, (978-1550748505) , Non-fictionInterest level: 6-9, Lexile: 840, ESL level: 3 - 4A 13-year-old boy and his brother learn the details of gold rush fever in the Yukon after they set out for Canada from Seattle; their experience includes learning about bad weather, tough luck, gambling, mining methods, the life of miners etc. all reveale

The Great Railroad Race - Kristiana Gregory, (978-0590109918) , FictionInterest level: 46-8, Lexile: 970, ESL level: 3Libby records the events concerning the building of the railroad out West during the 1860's.

The Great Turkey Walk - Kathleen Karr, (978-0374327736) , FictionInterest level: 4-12, Lexile: 700, ESL level: 4A young boy tries to move a huge group of turkeys across country in order to sell them and make big money.

Have Wheels, Will Travel - Anne Mazer, (978-0439178785) , FictionInterest level: 3-6, Lexile: 520, ESL level: 2 - 3Abby longs to find a way to save enough for a new pair of skates.

How Long or How Wide?: A Measuring Guide - Brian Cleary, (978-0822566946) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-6, Lexile: 730, ESL level: 2-3Measurements involving both the metric system and the U.S. system of measurement come across with simple rhyming pages.

How to Get Rich in the California Gold Rush - Thomas Hartley, (978-1426303159) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-7, Lexile: 990, ESL level: 4 - 5This pseudo-non-fiction book uses a fictionalized but real-seeming character and his adventures before and during the California Gold Rush to show it from an economic point of view; further resources in the "Encyclopedia of the Gold Rush" make looking at

Ida B: -- And Her Plant to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (possibly) Save the World - Katherine Hannigan, (978-0060730246) , FictionInterest level: 5-7, Lexile: 970, ESL level: 2 - 3Ida has plenty of plans and plenty of energy but not enough time to see them all through.

If America Were a Village - David Smith, (978-1554533442) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-7, Lexile: 990, ESL level: 4This book reveals facts and interesting statistics about people in the U.S. by reducing the population to 100 and showing the characteristics of each of many groups.

If the World Were a Village - David Smith, (978-1550747799) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-7, Lexile: 710, ESL level: 4By reducing the world's population to 100 people, this book easily explains trends, facts, and cultural info about the entire planet.

If You Hopped Like a Frog - David Schwartz, (978-0590098571) , Non-fictionInterest level: 6-12, Lexile: 990, ESL level: 2Interesting comparisons between body sizes and abilities of animals and humans make for interesting reading; what could you eat if you were an ant?

Joe and the Skyscraper: The Empire State Building in New York City - Dietrich Neumann, (978-3791321035) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-6, Lexile: 840, ESL level: 3A 16-year-old water boy gives his perspective on the building of the Empire State Building as he labors to do his job; in this book comic-style graphics appear superimposed on original photographs of the historic build.

Julia Morgan Built a Castle - Celeste Davidson Mannis, (978-0670059645) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-7, Lexile: 930, ESL level: 4Architect Julia Morgan, a graduate of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, built a house for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hurst; this book celebrates her life and other accomplishments.

Just the Right Size: Why Big Animals Are Big and Little Animals Are Little - Nicola Davies, (978-0763639242) , Non-fictionInterest level: 2-8, Lexile: 1140, ESL level: 2 - 3This book explains why big animals can do different things than small animals and how their sizes affect their activities and performances.

A Library Story: Building a New Central Library - Jennifer Vogel, (978-0822559160) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-6, Lexile: 800, ESL level: 3 - 4This book includes the history of the libraries in Minneapolis, MN and culminates in the achivement of a new central public library and completed there in 2006.

Lou Gehrig - Kevin Viola, (978-0822553113) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-9, Lexile: 1010, ESL level: 3Readers will learn about the life and accomplishments of New York Yankee player and legend Lou Gehrig.

Measuring at the Pond - Linda Bussell, (978-0836892918) , FictionInterest level: 4-7, Lexile: 780, ESL level: 2 - 3On a school trip, elementary students catch and measure insects and also read about them in the guide book.

Not for a Billion Gazillion Dollars - Paula Danziger, (978-0698116931) , FictionInterest level: 32-6, Lexile: 820, ESL level: 3 - 4Matthew ends up starting his own business after successfully making enough money to buy a computer he really thinks he needs.

Orphan of the Sun - Gill Harvey, (978-0747579458) , FictionInterest level: 8-9, Lexile: 750, ESL level: 2 - 3Egyptian tomb construction is the backdrop for this novel of a young teen-aged girl who tries to deal with unnerving dreams and an upcoming arranged marriage.

Pyramids - Nathan Olson, (978-1429600514) , Non-fictionInterest level: 3-6, Lexile: 770, ESL level: 2Children see the pyramid shape in many common objects and learn about its characteristics in this book which is part of a series on different math concepts.

Ramses II: Egyptian Pharaoh, Warrior, and Builder - Stephanie Fitzgerald, (978-0756538361) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-10, Lexile: 1060, ESL level: 3 - 4Born into the Egyptian royal family, Ramses II grows up to be one of the great builders of the pyramids and other Egyptian architectural monuments that have lasted throughout the ages.

Regarding the Sink: Where, oh Where, Did Waters Go? - Kate Klise, (978-0152050191) , FictionInterest level: 5-8, Lexile: 950, ESL level: 3In a series of letters, readers find out about the Geyser Creek's request to a famous deisgner to build them a new sink, her subsequent disappearance, and their resulting school trip to China!

Roman Amphitheaters - Don Nardo, (978-0531162248) , Non-fictionInterest level: 5-8, Lexile: 1010, ESL level: 3 - 4This book provides the history of building amphitheaters in Rome and also goes into problems their builders might have run across.

Rome Antics - David Macauley, (978-0395822791) , FictionInterest level: 2-6, Lexile: 880, ESL level: 2 - 3Readers follow a homing pigeon as he flies the slow route around Rome, viewing both the old and new buildings from above.

Shakespeare's Theater - Andrew Langley, (978-0199105663) , Non-fictionInterest level: 6-8, Lexile: 970, ESL level: 3 -4This book includes the history of the first building of the Globe Theater and its reconstruction in 1995.

What Goes Up - Stefan Petrucha, (978-1597071345) , FictionInterest level: 4-7, ESL level: 3In this modern Nancy Drewdetective story, a la graphic novel, Nancy stows away with bankers in an attempt to track down stolen funds taken away in a hot air balloon.

The White House: An Illustrated History - Catherine Grace, (978-0439429719) , Non-fictionInterest level: 6-9, Lexile: 1030, ESL level: 3 - 4This book provides a history of the building of the White House, its important developments, its symbolic significance, and even gives readers a room-by-room tour!

Who is Baseball's Greatest Pitcher? - Jeff Kisseloff, (978-0812626858) , Non-fictionInterest level: 4-12, Lexile: 1000, ESL level: 3Readers take an active role in this book by comparing statistics about the world's best pitchers; they then have to decide, based on their research, the name of the best one!

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Skyscraper Builder!:A Hazardous Job You'd Rather Not Take - John Malam, (978-0531208243) , Non-fictionInterest level: 56-8, Lexile: 860, ESL level: 3From the point of view of a member of a construction crew learning many jobs, this book offers a humorous look at the process of building a skyscraper.

Middle School to Young Adult Books

My Darlin' Clementine - Kristiana Gregory, (978-0823421985) , FictionInterest level: 7-9, Lexile: 800, ESL level: 4The legendary Clementine has her dreams interrupted since her gambling father is also an alcoholic, and the area where she lives, Idaho in 1866, is governed by lawless entrepreneurs.

Capital - Lynn Curlee, (978-1416918011) , Non-fictionInterest level: 6-12, Lexile: 1220, ESL level: 5This book goes into the planning and construction of the magnificent buildings in and around the National Mall including the Capital.

Cathedral: The Story of its Construction - David Macauley, (978-0395316689) , Non-fictionInterest level: 8-12, Lexile: 1120, ESL level: 4 - 5This book tells the story of the construction of an imagined Gothic cathedral in France in the 13th century; its narrative style includes details about the life of the people and the function of the cathedral in the community.

Cheaper by the Dozen - Frank Gilbreth, (978-0060594336) , Non-fictionInterest level: 5-9, Lexile: 890, ESL level: 4 - 5In this classic biography, Frank Gilbreth tells the story of the 12-child family he raised using the principles of efficiency experts and the latest technology from 1948.

Child of the Owl - Laurence Yep, (978-0060267391) , FictionInterest level: 8-12, Lexile: 920, ESL level: 4 - 5After her gambling father has an accident, Casey goes to live with her grandmother in San Francisco's Chinatown, and what at first seems very foreign starts to teach Casey about her background and who she really is.

Children's History of the 20th Century - D.K. Publishing, (978-0789447227) , Non-fictionInterest level: 10-12, Lexile: 1220, ESL level: 4 - 5A variety of interesting topics accompanied by telling photos create a picture of the world during the last century; major historical events and inventions keep the reader turning pages for more.

Everything You Need to Know About Having an Addictive Personality - Jay Bridger, (?978-0823927777) , Non-fictionInterest level: 11-12, Lexile: 970, ESL level: 5This non-fiction offering reveals that gambling is a form of addiction like alcohol and drugs, and must be treated professionally; anecdotes about teens and addiction make the facts come alive.

Football Hero - Tim Green, (978-0061122750) , FictionInterest level: 6-9, Lexile: 840, ESL level: 4TY's brother messes up his chances to play professional football when he succumbs to his uncle's pressure to give him insider dope on the team.

Frank Gehry - Caroline Lazo, (978-0822533887) , Non-fictionInterest level: 7-12, Lexile: 1090, ESL level: 4 - 5This biography tells the story of architect Frank Gehry's life, what influenced him, what unusual materials he has used in his art, and what he has accomplished.

Frank Lloyd Wright - Jan Adkins, (978-0142412442) , Non-fictionInterest level: 7-12, Lexile: 1030, ESL level: 4This life of one of the most important architects includes details about his childhood influences, his often bizarre lifestyle, and his great accomplishments which swayed so many designers who followed him.

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery - John Feinstein, (978-0375831683) , FictionInterest level: 6-10, Lexile: 760, ESL level: 4 - 5Guests at a Final Four game, pre-teens are shocked to discover one of the star players blackmailed into changing the outcome of the game.

The Story of the Toronto Blue Jays - Shawndra Shofner, (978-1583415030) , Non-fictionInterest level: 10-12, Lexile: 1370, ESL level: 5Readers find lots of details about the history of the Blue Jays from Canada and also get to examine statistics about the best player from each position.

Talking Walls: The Stories Continue - Margie Burns Knight, (978-0884481652) , Non-fictionInterest level: 7-12, Lexile: 1140, ESL level: 4 - 5Walls talk around the world, telling the story of their construction and the civilization which conceived the idea of the specific wall.

The Tent - Gary Paulsen, (978-0152058333) , FictionInterest level: 8-11, Lexile: 890, ESL level: 4 - 5Steven's evangelical minister father goes on the road to make a financial killing, and, although Steven does not like the idea, he likes the money that comes from the false preaching.

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything - Steven Levitt, (978-0060731335) , Non-fictionInterest level: 10-12, ESL level: 5Levitt applies the scholarly principles of economics to many concrete, every-day life issues, so reading this book is a self-help guide for the economically challenged!

What the World Eats - Faith D'Aluisio, (978-1582462462) , Non-fictionInterest level: 9-12, Lexile: 1150, ESL level: 4 - 5By examining 25 families and their diets around the world by viewing a picture of the food they each eat in a week, readers get an accurate and interesting idea of the differences and similarities in diet habits, economics, and food availability everywher